Join us for our Spring Fling 2024!

Mid-Continent Railway Museum could not operate without our volunteers, but sometimes showing up to volunteer with an organization for the first time can be intimidating. This is why Mid-Continent has planned a special day of volunteer activities to make getting started easy!

This volunteering day is open to everyone and to all ages. Whether you have volunteered with us in the past or this will be your first time, you are welcome to attend our Spring Fling volunteer day on May 4th as we work to ready the museum to reopen for the 2024 season the following weekend.

Starting at 9:00 AM, we will meet at the museum depot. There will be department heads from the museum’s programs there to explain what their department does and the types of volunteer opportunities available.

Once each department has spoken, you can choose which department(s) you are interested in and join them in a day of volunteering. You’ll have the chance to experience multiple departments over the course of a single day. Come stay for an hour, or two, or for the whole day! Don’t forget to wear your work clothes and bring your work gloves if you have them. Please RSVP by email (inquiries@midcontinent.org) or phone (608-522-4261) as soon as possible so we can get an accurate headcount for lunch. Hope to see you there!

Volunteer Opportunities Currently Available:

Restoration Department:

Join the Restoration Department in working on several projects, including cleaning, de-rusting, and painting portions of a 1906 Rock Island coach/baggage car; painting ceiling panels in a 1902 sleeping car; installing windows and trim on a 1910 coach car; moving stored items; and other assorted tasks.

Buildings & Grounds Department:

Join the Buildings & Grounds Department for a variety of tasks to make the property ready for visitors to keep the museum looking good. Projects include a spring cleaning of the museum’s public buildings: including sweeping, window washing, and painting our picnic pavilion building. Volunteers will also be clearing brush & trees from museum lands to help facilitate future expansion.

Engineering Department:

Engineering Department leaders may have work available sorting the museum’s inventory of tie plates and other on-track material.

Operating Department:

The Operating Department superintendent will briefly introduce the volunteer opportunities available to work as car attendants, trainman, conductor, fireman, and engineer and outline the training involved to attain those positions.

Other Departments may be represented as well as the date gets closer.